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CONTENTS ALL BLITZ TEAM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 LEAGUE SCHEDULES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 COACH POLLS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 TURLOCK HIGH BULLDOGS 10 PITMAN HIGH PRIDE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 HILMAR HIGH YELLOWJACKETS . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 2021 STATS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 DENAIR HIGH COYOTES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 PublisherEditor Cover Design AdvertisementPhotographyWritingDesignerby& Hank Vander Veen Kristina Hacker Harold George Sharon Hoffman Chris Correa Joe CharlesBethCandyFrankieCortezTovarPadillaFlanaganWebber 5WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab
FRANKIE TOVAR It’s Season 10 of The Blitz and we’re 100 yards and running. Prior to the 2013 season, when the show was being prepped for production for the first time, we had no idea how The Blitz would be received or how long it would even run. At the time it was a new venture headed by young reporters who wanted to showcase the local football talent in a new way. Now, almost a decade later, we’re preparing for another installment of what has become a standard for Turlock Journal football cov erage.Tomark the occasion, I took it upon myself to revisit the past nine seasons and find the cream of the crop – a difficult task, as it turns out, due to the high level of talent in the area. The goal was to assemble a roster akin to an NFL All-Decade Team with players being selected based on factors like on field production, lead ership, and dual-threat ability as well as individual and teamThisaccolades.inaugural All-Blitz Team includes league MVPs, regional All-Stars, D1 college recruits, Sac-Joaquin Sec tion champions, and California Interscholastic State champions.Whilemany of the First Team selections were nobrainers, others had to be selected by scouring old newspaper articles, watching past seasons of The Blitz, reviewing available statistics, and consulting long-time reporters and coaches. Even then, the process was chal lenging. Not because of the high number of players eli gible for consideration, but because of the high number of players who seemingly deserved to be selected based onManymerit.of the players are two-way starters who ex celled everywhere they lined up. The Bass brothers, Rentfro brothers, Jevan Hogan, Drew Lewis, and Lo gan Wolfley – all were top tier running backs themselves and would be a welcomed addition to any team’s of fense. Conversely, some may have placed players on dif ferent lists all together based on their preferred offensive scheme. Quarterbacks Danny Velasquez and Jonathan O’Brien are a prime example. Velasquez played three years at the varsity level for Turlock High, splitting his time as a running back first before moving under center. During his first full year as QB, the senior Bulldog had more than 1,000 yards as both a passer and rusher for a season total of 2,186 yards and 29 touchdowns. He led Turlock to a league championship and a playoff win for the first time in over a decade and his final varsity totals were 4,576 yards and 51 touchdowns. Three years prior to Velasquez’ senior season and during the first year of The Blitz, O’Brien broke out as a junior for Hilmar High with 2,110 passing yards, 506 rushing yards, and a total of 34 touchdowns. By sea son’s end he led the ‘Jackets to a league championship, a SJS Championship appearance, and a record-breaking 13-game win streak before ending his two-year varsity career with a total of 4,525 yards and 51 touchdowns.
Danny VelasquezIsaac
Nearly identical numbers. Comparable accomplishments like this exist through out the All-Blitz rosters and make for a team that would be rightfully feared on the football field. An offense anchored by the towering Chris Martinez and Everett Johnson – both current players for D1 programs – and boasting weapons like Isaac Sharp, Anthony Frias, Ty ler Robinson, and Alex Chavez would without a doubt light up the scoreboard on any given Friday night. A de fense helmed by Mustafa Noel-Johnson, Joseph Bello, and Dustin Grein with the likes of Bernardo Duran, Garrett Fountain, and Brendan Patterson on reserve would put the clamp on any opposing offense. These are the best-of-the-best The Blitz had the priv ilege of covering over the past nine seasons. Now it’s time to welcome a new class of players and look to the future with Season 10 of The Blitz.
Celebrating 10 seasons with
Devan Bass
Sharp 6WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab
Performances
- Rushing Isaac Sharp (2018) – 1,687 yards Cody Rentfro (2016) – 1,502 yards Steffin Winston (2018) – 1,432 yards Isaac Sharp (2017) – 1,329 yards Jakob Partida (2019) – 1, 167 yards Justin Rentfro (2018) – 1,125 yards Danny Velasquez (2016) – 1,101 yards Anthony Frias (2019) – 1,083 yards Devan Bass (2016) – 1,036 yards - Passing Jonathan O’Brien (2013) – 2,110 yards Seth Miguel (2019) – 1,946 yards Jonathan O’Brien (2014) – 1,477 yards Danny Velasquez (2016) – 1,096 yards - Receiving Alex Chavez (2015) – 1,344 yards Tyler Robinson (2013) – 1,038 yards Sacks in a Single Season Gabe Cordero (2017) – 17.5 sacks Bernardo Duran (2013) – 14 sacks Mustafa Noel-Johnson (2015) – 8.5 sacks Mustafa Noel-Johnson (2016) – 8 sacks Solo Tackles in a Single Season
Joseph Bello (2013) – 87 solo tackles Mustafa Noel-Johnson (2016) – 81 solo tackles Justin Rentfro (2018) – 79 solo tackles Gabe Cordero (2017) – 74 solo tackles Dominic Silva (2016) – 72 solo tackles Dustin Grein (2017) – 70.5 solo tackles David Bisby (2013) – 70 solo tackles
7WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab the inaugural All-Blitz Team first team second honorableteammentionOffense QB Danny Velasquez Turlock Class of 2017 RB Isaac Sharp Hilmar Class of 2019 Anthony Frias Turlock Class of 2020 WR Tyler Robinson Hilmar Class of 2014 Alex Chavez Hilmar Class of 2018 TE Cam Sherwood Turlock Class of 2019 T Everett Johnson Turlock Class of 2020 Chris Martinez Pitman Class of 2017 G Aaron Lusher Pitman Class of 2014 Nicholas Berry Turlock Class of 2017 C Jared Collier Hilmar Class of 2019 Special Teams K Devon Medieros Hilmar Class of 2014 Defense DE/OLB Mustafa Noel-Johnson Turlock Class of 2017 Gabe Cordero Turlock Class of 2018 DT David Bisby Hilmar Class of 2014 Jacob Masihi Turlock Class of 2020 LB Cody Rentfro Hilmar Class of 2017 Dominic Silva Turlock Class of 2017 Joseph Bello Hilmar Class of 2014 C Devan Bass Pitman Class of 2017 Jevan Hogan Turlock Class of 2014 S Dustin Grein Turlock Class of 2018 Logan Wolfley Pitman Class of 2014 Coach Frank Marques Hilmar Offense QB Jonathan O’Brien Hilmar Class of 2016 RB Payton Bass Pitman Class of 2019 Steffin Winston Denair Class of 2019 WR Denzel Steckwren Pitman Class of 2019 Jordan Porter Turlock Class of 2018 TE Micah Millentree Pitman Class of 2016 T Ashton Patteron Turlock Class of 2022 Britten Smith Hilmar Class of 2014 G Brendan Tallent Pitman Class of 2018 Nick Aguilera Hilmar Class of 2019 C JT Mercer Pitman Class of 2017 Special Teams K Bryan Millan Hilmar Class of 2019 Defense DE/OLB Bernardo Duran Hilmar Class of 2014 Garret Fountain Turlock Class of 2019 DT Eric Bejaran Pitman Class of 2014 Josh Vercelli Pitman Class of 2015 LB Jereicho Taamu Turlock Class of 2016 Justin Rentfro Hilmar Class of 2017 Blake McBay Pitman Class of 2016 C Cole Cozine Hilmar Class of 2019 Drew Lewis Pitman Class of 2014 S Cole Bailey Hilmar Class of 2021 Brendan Patterson Pitman Class of 2017 Coach James Peterson Turlock QB Jonah Kosakiewicz Turlock WR Jacob Mabie Turlock DE Ronald Sharlou Turlock K Dallin Tilby Turlock RB Jakob Partida Pitman WR Donovan Bravo Pitman T Brock Fusi Pitman DE/OLB Jason Foglia Pitman QB Seth Miguel Hilmar WR Carter Azevedo Hilmar LB Robert Lindo Hilmar RB Hunter Musgrave Denair DE Scott Badal Denair DE/OLB Carlo Morales Denair QB Garrett Thomas Delhi RB Joseph Cantu Delhi 1,000 Singleyards+Season
All-Blitz Stats
SOUTHERN
Pitman Pride Aug. 19 at Central Valley Aug. 26 Cosumnes Sept.Oaks 2 at Patterson Sept. 9 Golden Valley Sept. 16 Bye Sep. 23 at Oak Ridge Sept. 30 Turlock Oct. 7 at Enochs Oct. 14 Gregori Oct. 21 at Modesto Oct. 28 at Downey Downey Knights Aug. 19 at Lincoln Aug. 26 at East Union Sept. 2 at Merced Sept. 9 Beyer Sept. 16 Tracy Sep. 23 Bye Sept. 30 at Modesto Oct. 7 at Turlock Oct. 14 Enochs Oct. 21 at Gregori Oct. 28 Pitman Enochs Eagles Aug. 19 Beyer Aug. 26 at Liberty Sept. 2 at Buhach Col Sept.ony 9 Central Valley Sept. 16 Bye Sep. 24 at Oakdale Sept. 30 Gregori Oct. 7 Pitman Oct. 14 at Downey Oct. 21 at Turlock Oct. 28 Modesto Gregori Jaguars Aug. 19 Buhach Colony Aug. 26 Merced Sept. 2 Atwater Sept. 9 at Livermore Sept. 16 Bye Sep. 23 at Lodi Sept. 30 at Enochs Oct. 7 Modesto Oct. 14 at Pitman Oct. 21 Downey Oct. 28 at Turlock Modesto Panthers Aug. 19 at Johansen Aug. 26 at Beyer Sept. 2 Stagg Sept. 9 Patterson Sept. 16 at Sierra Sep. 23 Bye Sept. 30 Downey Oct. 7 at Gregori Oct. 14 Turlock Oct. 21 Pitman Oct. 28 at Enochs Delhi Hawks Aug. 19 El Capitan Aug. 26 Riverbank Sept. 2 at Big Valley Chris Sept.tian 9 Bye Sept. 16 at Waterford Sep. 23 Mariposa Sept. 30 Gustine Oct. 7 at Orestimba Oct. 14 Denair Oct. 21 at Le Grand Oct. 28 Ripon Christian Denair Coyotes Aug. 19 Bye Aug. 26 at Modesto Chris Sept.tian 2 Riverbank Sept. 10 at Washington (San Francisco), 2 p.m. Sept. 16 at Ripon Christian Sep. 23 Gustine Sept. 30 Le Grand Oct. 7 Mariposa Oct. 14 at Delhi Oct. 21 Orestimba Oct. 28 at Waterford Gustine Reds Aug. 19 at Summerville Aug. 26 Johansen Sept. 2 Delta Charter Sept. 9 Bye Sept. 16 Mariposa Sep. 23 at Denair Sept. 30 at Delhi Oct. 7 at Waterford Oct. 14 Le Grand Oct. 21 at Ripon Chris Oct.tian 28 Orestimba Le Grand Bulldogs Aug. 19 at Livingston Aug. 26 El Capitan Sept. 2 Tranquillity THIS IS CQ Sept. 9 Bye Sept. 16 at Orestimba Sep. 23 Waterford Sept. 30 at Denair Oct. 7 at Ripon ChrisOct.tian 14 at Gustine Oct. 21 Delhi Oct. 28 Mariposa Mariposa Grizzlies Aug. 19 at Yosemite Aug. 26 at Minarets Sept. 2 Bye Sept. 9 at Davis Sept. 16 at Gustine Sep. 23 at Delhi Sept. 30 Orestimba Oct. 7 at Denair Oct. 14 Ripon Christian Oct. 21 Waterford Oct. 28 at Le Grand Orestimba Warriors Aug. 19 Rio Vista Aug. 26 at Hughson Sept. 2 at Los Banos Sept. 9 Bye Sept. 16 Le Grand Sep. 23 Ripon Christian Sept. 30 at Mariposa Oct. 7 Delhi Oct. 14 Waterford Oct. 21 at Denair Oct. 28 at Gustine Ripon Christian Knights Aug. 19 Central Valley Christian Aug. 26 at Cloverdale Sept. 2 Calaveras Sept. 9 Bye Sept. 16 Denair Sep. 23 at Orestimba Sept. 30 at Waterford Oct. 7 Le Grand Oct. 14 at Mariposa Oct. 21 Gustine Oct. 28 at Delhi Waterford Wildcats Aug. 19 at Stone Ridge Chris Aug.tian 26 Big Valley Chris Sept.tian 2 at Summerville Sept. 9 Bye Sept. 16 Delhi Sep. 23 at Le Grand Sept. 30 Ripon Christian Oct. 7 Gustine Oct. 14 at Orestimba Oct. 21 at Mariposa Oct. 28 Denair Escalon Cougars Aug. 19 at Damonte Ranch Aug. 26 Buchanan Sept. 2 Windsor Sept. 9 at Kimball Sept. 16 Hughson Sep. 23 Bye Sept. 30 at Hilmar Oct. 7 Modesto Chris Oct.tian 14 Riverbank Oct. 21 at Ripon Oct. 28 at Livingston Hilmar Yellowjackets Aug. 19 Patterson Aug. 26 Los Banos Sept. 2 at Sonora Sept. 10 at Palma (Salinas), 1 Sept.p.m. 16 at Livingston Sep. 23 Ripon Sept. 30 Escalon Oct. 7 Bye Oct. 14 at Hughson Oct. 21 at Modesto Chris Oct.tian 28 Riverbank Hughson Huskies Aug. 19 at Sierra Aug. 26 Orestimba Sept. 2 at Argonaut Sept. 9 Summerville Sept. 16 at Escalon Sep. 23 Livingston Sept. 30 at Modesto ChrisOct.tian 7 at Riverbank Oct. 14 Hilmar Oct. 21 Bye Oct. 28 Ripon Livingston Wolves Aug. 19 Le Grand Aug. 26 Livermore Sept. 2 at Amador Sept. 9 at El Capitan Sept. 16 Hilmar Sep. 23 at Hughson Sept. 30 Bye Oct. 7 at Ripon Oct. 14 Modesto Christian Oct. 21 at Riverbank Oct. 28 Escalon Modesto Christian Crusaders Aug. 19 Foresthill Aug. 26 Denair Sept. 2 El Capitan Sept. 10 at Delta Charter, noon Sept. 16 at Ripon Sep. 23 Riverbank Sept. 30 Hughson Oct. 7 at Escalon Oct. 14 at Livingston Oct. 21 Hilmar Oct. 28 Bye Ripon Indians Aug. 19 at East Union Aug. 26 Sonora Sept. 2 McClatchy Sept. 9 at Calaveras Sept. 16 Modesto ChrisSep.tian 23 at Hilmar Sept. 30 at Riverbank Oct. 7 Livingston Oct. 14 Bye Oct. 21 Escalon Oct. 28 at Hughson Riverbank Bruins Aug. 19 Millennium Aug. 26 at Delhi Sept. 2 at Denair Sept. 9 Bye Sept. 16 Valley Christian Sept. 23 at Modesto ChrisSept.tian 30 Ripon Oct. 7 Hughson Oct. 14 at Escalon Oct. 21 Livingston Oct. 28 at Hilmar LEAGUE 2022 LEAGUE SCHEDULESTRANS-VALLEY LEAGUECENTRAL CALIFORNIA ATHLETIC LEAGUE
Turlock Bulldogs Aug. 19 Rocklin Aug. 26 at Clovis West Sept. 2 Central Sept. 9 at Manteca Sept. 16 at Clayton Valley CharSep.ter Oct.Oct.Oct.Oct.Sept.23 Bye30atPitman7Downey14atModesto21Enochs28Gregori
8WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab
Branches located in Stockton, Angels Camp, Brentwood, Elk Grove, Fair eld, Lodi, Manteca, Modesto, Napa, Oakdale, Pine Grove, Rio Vista, Ripon, Sonora, Tracy, and Turlock.
www.bankof stockton.com Celebr ating August 1867 to 2022
www.bankof stockton.com Celebr ating August 1867 to 2022 CoachesCCALPoll Turlock (3) Downey (tie)Gregori(3)PitmanModesto(tie)Enochs SOUTHERN LEAGUE COACHES POLL RiponOrestimbaChristianLeGrandWaterfordMariposaGustineDenairDelhi 9WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab coach polls
Branches located in Stockton, Angels Camp, Brentwood, Elk Grove, Fair eld, Lodi, Manteca, Modesto, Napa, Oakdale, Pine Grove, Rio Vista, Ripon, Sonora, Tracy, and Turlock.
It isn’t the fact that Turlock lost the game badly that Peterson wants his play ers to recall. He wants them to remem ber that calamity is just one bad practice away. And that challenges, no matter how big, must be faced boldly. Peterson just as easily could have cho sen to put other numerical reminders on the white board, such as 38-14 or 25.
Those were the scores by which the Bull dogs lost to Downey and Gregori in Cen tral California Athletic League matchups last year — their first CCAL losses since the loop’s inception in 2018. “That’s all we’ve been talking about,” said Peterson. “We want to get it right thisPetersonyear.” also believes, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, the pro gram is once again running smoothly.
BY JOE CORTEZ
Five times a week for the past eight months, every time Turlock High foot ball players entered the team’s weight room, they were greeted by the same three numbers, connected by a hyphen, scrawled on the white board. That’s41-0.
the score by which perennial Sac-Joaquin Section powerhouse Rock lin defeated the Bulldogs in the 2021 sea sonHeadopener.coach James Peterson would rather his team not forget. “It reminds the guys that we need to work,” said Peterson, entering his 14th season as the Bulldogs head coach. “Rocklin plays at a level we strive to be at, and we’ve used last year as motivation for our home opener in the 2022 season.”
Lessons from the past forge Turlock’s future
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The COVID-shortened 2020 season affected offseason preparations for the 2021 campaign, according to Peterson, and the program is just now getting back into“Werhythm.played a group of core guys last that we thought were owed a season,” saidWhilePeterson.teams in other districts, with dif fering COVID protocols, were better able to navigate the system, Peterson admits struggling to find a balance. “There were some lingering issues last year,” he said. “We had too many reps outside of the weight room and we couldn’t get our spring ball going. Things just kind of Defendingbottlenecked.”CCALchampion Downey took a different approach in 2020. Head coach Jeremy Plaa promoted nearly half his junior varsity squad and gave them valuable varsity experience. That season ing paid off last year in the Oct. 8 show down with Turlock. Downey will have 17 three-year varsity players on its roster this fall. Of those, 15 started last year as juniors. Turlock, meanwhile, brings back 11 starters. In the Journal’s 2022 CCAL coaches poll, the Bulldogs narrowly edged the Knights for the top spot, though each team garnered three first-place votes. Turlock and Downey will square off on Oct. 7 at Joe Debely Stadium in a game that, in all likelihood, will deter mine the CCAL champion. The Bulldogs offense will have a new look this year as 2015 and 2016 Central California Conference (Turlock’s former league) MVP Danny Velasquez returns to his alma mater as offensive coordina tor. He’ll borrow concepts from his time at Modesto Junior College, when he played in Rusty Stivers’ exciting NAS CAR“It’sOffense.really a simple offense,” said Velasquez. “People don’t really under stand how simple it is.” Simplicity is probably a good thing for a quarterback coming off a year lost to injury.Cole Gilbert is back for his final season in blue and gold, fully healthy after suffering a knee injury in 2021. His top tar get will be a big one: 6-foot, 5-inch junior Andrew Johnson, the brother of former Bulldog Everett Johnson, now playing on Cal’s offensive line. Also returning is senior running back J.T. Foreman, who rushed for a teamleading 1,211 yards and 10 touchdowns in Defensively,’21.
Turlock appears to be in good shape with defensive backs Alex Velasquez and Logan Bankson, lineback ers Joshua Weatherbee and Martin Ber tao, and linemen Nolan Ashbaugh and Logan Durkee all back for their senior campaign, which gets under way on Fri day at home against the aforementioned Rocklin. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Regardless of the outcome, Peterson is confident his team come out ready to play.“We play hard-nosed, old-school foot ball here,” said Peterson. “I take a lot of pride in that.”
Turlock High Bulldogs
Following an early-August practice under the scorch ing Valley heat, a player leaving the field yelled some thing to the new coach. What did he say? “He said I need to go eat some donuts and work on my ‘coach body,’” chuckled Velasquez. After graduating from Turlock, Velasquez accepted an offer to play football at Portland State. When things didn’t work out in Oregon, he returned and played a season for Rusty Stivers at Modesto Junior College. From there, he walked on at Fresno State before transferring to Southwest Minnesota State. The move, however, cost Velasquez a year of eligibility and he de cided to call it a career and head home to Turlock. Shortly thereafter, he got an offer from Peterson. “I’ve always known that I wanted to be a coach,” said Velasquez. “Even back when I was in high school.” Velasquez will use concepts learned while piloting Stivers’ NASCAR offense, an exciting, up-tempo sys tem that lights up scoreboards “I love Rusty,” said Velasquez. “He’s been a big role model.“When Pete offered me the job and I was debating what to do with the offense, I thought, ‘Why not run Rusty’s?’ There’s not a lot of plays, there’s not a lot of formations. It’s a really simple offense. People don’t re ally understand how simple it is.” His old coach thinks he’s up to the task. “Just like when he was a player,” Stivers said, “he’ll be a smooth operator.”
To run the offense effectively, players have to be able to put the pedal to floor in the fourth quarter when the other team is out of gas. In short, Turlock players will have to be in peak physical condition. Just like their offensive coordinator. Velasquez returns to coach at alma mater
Aug. 19 vs Rocklin Aug. 26 @ Clovis West Sept. 2 vs Central Sept. 9 @ Manteca Sept. 16 @ Clayton Valley Charter Sep. 23 Bye Sept. 30 @ Pitman Oct. 7 vs Downey Oct. 14 @ Modesto Oct. 21 vs Enochs Oct. 28 vs Gregori Team Overall League 1. Downey 9-2 5-0 2. Gregori 6-5 4-1 3. Turlock 4-7 3-2 4. Pitman 3-6 2-3 5. Enochs 5-5 1-4 6. Modesto 2-8 0-5 2021 CCAL standings
BY JOE CORTEZ
11WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab 0 Logan Bankson Sr. RB/DB 1 Owen Miller Jr. MLB 2 Alex Velasquez Sr. CB 3 Kael McBay Sr. RB/DB 4 Peter Mello Sr. WR/DB 5 J.T. Foreman Sr. RB/DB 6 Vincent Gonzales Jr. QB 7 Cole Hendrix Sr. OLB 8 Cole Gilbert Sr. QB 9 Isaiah Bertalotto Jr. DB 10 Andrew Johnson Jr. WR/DB 11 Jeremiah Bertalotto Jr. WR/DB 12 Gage Pritt Sr. WR/DB 13 Adrian Sandoval Jr. CB 14 Carter Crivelli Jr. WR/DB 15 Hunter Kincaid Jr. WR 16 Kyle Parker Sr. DB 18 Jackson Mendonca Jr. TE/DE 20 Matthew Meneses Jr. WR/CB 21 Joshua Weatherbee Sr. TE/OLB 23 Eden Britten Jr. WR/DB 24 Tarell Johnson Jr. RB/DE 25 Dhiraj Singh Jr. C 29 Cesar Perez Jr. MLB 30 Gavin Parker Jr. WR/CB 33 Devon Lambert Jr. MLB 34 Elijah Watson Jr. OLB/TE 35 Dru Kimura Jr. OLB 44 Jeremy Garcia Sr. RB/OLB 45 Martin Bertao Sr. MLB 52 Logan Durkee Jr. OL/DL 68 Luke Perkins Jr. DE 70 Juan Pablo Nevarez Jr. OL/DE 72 Jason Rose Sr. OL/DL 73 Nolan Ashbaugh Sr. OL/DL 74 Nelson Lozano Jr. OL/DL 75 D.J. Curtice Sr. OL/DL 76 Chase Hendrix Sr. OL 77 Gavin Martinez Jr. OL/DL 78 Kristian Guerrero Jr. OL/DL 85 Zachary Macklin Sr. OL/DL 90 Phoenix Nunez-Bradshaw Sr. DE
Danny Velasquez looks like he could suit up and play football.Rightnow.At6feeteven and 200 pounds, the heavily muscled 2017 Turlock graduate is actually lighter than when he won back-to-back league MVPs as the Bulldogs quar terback.Butnow that he’s a coach — Velasquez will serve as the team’s offensive coordinator this season — he doesn’t quite look the part.
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Reza explained that the rollout for the designs will come slowly on Pitman so cial media “Nobodychannels.knowsabout it yet, so I’ll keep it a secret until our first game and when we put it out on social media. I know all the former players will be pret ty excited when they see it for the first time,” he said. One aspect of the uniforms that Reza doesn’t mind sharing is the helmet stick
Pitman High Pride
ers all three teams will wear to honor the life of 2009 graduate and four-year player Matthew Staack. Staack passed away in March in a car accident at the age of 32.
Pitman High School head coach Eric Reza has been a part of the football pro gram since 2004, the third year of the program’s existence. He realizes that, even though they don’t have the longest history in comparison to other local schools, the history they do have is spe cial and should be embraced.
“It’s not a secret and I’m not going to deny it, we’re still a young program,” Reza said. “Other schools like Turlock have that long history where grandpar ents and parents played back in the day, and we’re just not old enough to have that quite yet, but we’re still proud.”
After missing the playoffs for three years, the embracement of past players and past teams will be emphasized this year - and it will come in more ways than one.One of the first ways the Reza will look to bring back the glory of year’s past is through his coaching staff and personnel at all three levels.
At the freshman level, Reza’s son, Eric Reza Jr. (Class of ‘13), will once again serve as head coach, leading the early development of the younger play ers. Working alongside Reza Jr. are five other alumni: Nick Renteria (’13), Diego Camorlinga (’13), Anthony Leal (’12) and Seth Alvarado (’19). Meanwhile at the JV level, Scott Tyler (’19) is helping coach the defensive line. “It’s good to see the alumni come out and come back because they truly know what Pitman football is all about,” Reza said. “They bring the traditions that they’ve been through, they bring the same coaching they’ve been taught.”
veal how the uniforms would be tweaked to honor Pride alumni, but he believes that former players will appreciate it once the team takes the field for the first time. “The most obvious thing is that we haven’t made the playoffs in the past couple of years, and that’s not something we want to get used to,” Reza said. “We need to bring that grit and toughness and competitiveness back from the early days when guys like Colin Kaepernick and Anthony Harding were here.”
“Matt Staack was a great man who played at all three levels during his time here. To honor him, every single player will have a #13 sticker on the back of their helmets for the whole year,” Reza said.Whether it be the leadership of alumni or the details in this year’s jerseys, Reza believes that his players this year can be inspired to create a season full of memo ries and success. “With time, the kids will better under stand what it means to play for Pitman,” he said. “Some already understand it better than some, but we really hope to instill these values as the season goes on. It’s really exciting.” make tradition a point of emphasis ahead of 2022 season
BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA
Pride
As the alumni look to mold the latest generation of Pitman greats, the players themselves will honor Pride legends on the field during games. Reza did not re
RezaMostexplained.ofReza’s top skill players are returning, includ ing running back and wide receiver Joey Stout, quarter back Drew Walker and wide receiver Dylan Freeman. On the defensive side of things, defensive lineman Alex Rodriguez will look to lock down oppositions during his senior year. Reza felt as if defense was a strong suit for the Pride in 2021. With the combination of a significant returning class, Reza and his team could very well make some noise within the Central California Athletic League. “We turned to a new offense last year, so they’ve had time to learn and adjust. For the most part, this is a very coachable group… I very much have higher expecta tions for this year’s team.,” Reza said.
Aug. 19 @ Central Valley Aug. 26 vs Cosumnes Oaks Sept. 2 @ Patterson Sept. 9 vs Golden Valley Sept. 16 Bye Sep. 23 @ Oak Ridge Sept. 30 vs Turlock Oct. 7 @ Enochs Oct. 14 vs Gregori Oct. 21 @ Modesto Oct. 28 @ Downey Team Overall League 1. Downey 9-2 5-0 2. Gregori 6-5 4-1 3. Turlock 4-7 3-2 4. Pitman 3-6 2-3 5. Enochs 5-5 1-4 6. Modesto 2-8 0-5 2021 CCAL standings 1
Eric Reza will be leading the Pitman Pride varsity football team for the second year. In Reza’s first year, a combination of inexperience and lack of opportunities stiffened his squad. In 2022, he believes that a return to their winning ways is possible. “Coming from the cancelled COVID year, a lot of guys had inexperience. And with COVID, we didn’t have a deep roster to begin with and we had lots of guys testing positive, forcing us to cancel one of our games,”
Though the returning group is enough reason for Pit man fans to be excited, Reza is also raving about some of the first-year varsity players. “We have a lot of guys that are coming up from JV who are going to help out a lot and some who will have opportunities to prove themselves and compete, guys like Matthew Burciaga,” Reza said. Burciaga will be a key depth tool at running back while looking to play a big role at linebacker. In total, the 2022 Pitman roster will have more play ers on the roster compared to last year, providing the Pride with much more stability. With his over two de cades of coaching experience, Reza knows that this can make all the difference. “I’m excited for the entire program down from the freshman level on up, but I’m most excited for the se niors. This is their last year and I want to make it as spe cial as possible,” he said. “Our ultimate goal is to win a championship, but the first step is making the playoffs, and I think we have a shot with this group.” Matthew Burciaga Jr. RB, Carlos Naranjo Jr. WR,
BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA
DB 4 Andrew Azevedo Jr. QB/DB 5 Cyruss Snow Jr. TE, DL 6 Sean Forte-Richard Jr. WR, DB 9 Jonathan Beals Jr. RB, LB 11 Drew Walker Sr. QB, DB 12 Cruzito Garcia Sr. WR, DB 14 Jonnathan Delgado Jr. QB, LB 15 Adam Quezada Jr. WR, DB 17 Gabriel Bedolla Jr. WR, DB 18 Michael Schwartz Sr. WR, DB 20 Dominick Heredia-Hernandez Jr. LB,RB 21 Jose Zamora III Sr. RB, DB 24 Joey Stout Sr. RB, WR 25 Aric Singh Jr. WR, LB 26 Cesar Leyva Sr. WR,DB 27 Kolten Pruitt Jr. RB, DB 28 Rayden Rasmussen Sr. WR, DB 32 Marc Ouse Sr. RB, DL 33 Daniel Aguilar Sr. RB, LB 40 Christian Pena Jr. FB, LB 44 Jack McBay Sr. RB, DL 45 Jorge Perez Sr. TE, LB 52 Kabir Sansari Taunk Jr. OL, DL 54 Isaac Simoes Sr. OL, DL 58 Joseant Barrios Sr. OL, DL 59 Iker Pelayo Sr. OL, DL 66 Daniel Ventura Jr. OL, DL 67 Adam David Jr. OL, DL. 70 Lucas Arrizon Jr. OL, DL. 77 Angel Lopez Sr. OL, DL. 78 Sartoj Sahota Sr. OL, DL 99 Alex Rodriguez Sr. OL, DL Pride set sights on first playoff berth since 2018
13WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab
LB 2
Remember: In Hilmar, exciting means sections championships.
Blue championship banners are how Hilmar measures excitement. And the Yellowjackets, who have reached four straight section titles games (not count ing the 2020 COVID season when there were no playoffs), look to have another contender.Afterwinning back-to-back banners in 2017 and 2018, Hilmar came up short in 2019 and 2021, falling to Trans-Valley League rival Escalon each time. Both the Cougars and Yellowjackets, who finished 1-2 in the TVL coaches poll, respectively, and Ripon, all have won state titles during that stretch. Throw in a Hughson team on the come and you see why it’ll be hard enough to win a league crown, let alone a section or state championship. Still, that’s the goal on Lander Av enue.“Ithink if we stay healthy, we’re going to be fun to watch,” said Marques, who has five starters returning on offensive and six on defense. Among those is senior wide receiver Derek Taylor, a 6-5, 210-pounder whose sure hands are drawing looks from Division I scouts. Six-foot-3, 205-pound senior Jerardo Ponce also will be a threat for Hilmar. Getting them the ball will be Hudson Azevedo, a 5-10, 170-pound senior who was injured during summer practices in 2021.“I’m 100 percent right now,” said Aze vedo, who sported a knee brace through summer practices. “This thing is just for precaution.”Marqueslikes his quarterback’s skills, but he likes the intangibles perhaps even more.“He’s the leader of the club,” Marques said of his signal caller. “Off the field as well as on. He has a real toughness aboutNowhim.”inhis 20th season as head coach, Marques has the Hilmar program hum ming like no other: averaging nine wins per season over his career with four straight trips to the section final. a junior varsity team riding a 34-game win streak dating back to 2018 and a coaching staff comprised entirely of former team mates or players of the head coach (with one exception, but even that coach has taught at Hilmar for 30-plus years).
Hilmar High Yellowjackets
BY JOE CORTEZ
Additionally, Hilmar has bulked up its preseason schedule, with an eye toward being a sharper club come November. The Yellowjackets open Friday at McSweeney Field against Patterson. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. Hilmar will host Los Banos on Aug. 26 before traveling to take on Sonora a week later. After that, it’s off to Salinas for a contest on Sept. 10 against perennial Central Coast parochial powerhouse Palma. Kickoff for that Saturday tilt is scheduled for 2 p.m.“This team is getting dialed in,” said Marques, who has guided the Yellow jackets to a Belichickian 10 section final appearances in 19 seasons. “I think we’re ahead of schedule. It’s exciting.”
The 2022 season will be a special one for Hilmar High School’s football program.It’sthe school’s 100th season playing football in the small, farming commu nity, and before each home game the team plans to honor a group of players and coaches from a specific era. “It’s going to be really neat,” said Yellowjackets’ head coach and Hilmar alum Frank Marques. “I’m super excited.”Butlet’s get real for a moment, shall we?What really gets Marques excited, what really will make it a special season for Hilmar … is a ninth Sac-Joaquin Section championship banner. That would be the fifth title on Marques’ résumé and break a tie with Jerry Van Lengen, who won four consecutive Division IV titles from 1986 to 1989 after losing finals in 1984 and 1985 (Van Lengen and his crew from the 1980s are slated to be honored before one of Hilmar’s home games).
Special season in store for Hilmar as it celebrates 100 years of football
14WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab
Derek Taylor Sr. WR/DE Caden Wood Jr. WR/DB
29
OL/DL 59 Alex
OL/DL 64 Jackson
9
Elias Agueda Sr. WR/DB Jax Jarvis Sr. WR/DB Logan Cardoso Jr. RB/LB Bradley Morris Sr. QB/DB
16
54 Dakota
13
4
52 Dylan
12
OL/DL 63 Nicholas
53 Bruce
28
11
Devin Colston Jr. QB/LB
55 Landon
14
Ezra Duenas Sr. WR/DB Spencer Azevedo Jr. WB/DB
24
6
1
OL/DL 66 Jeremy
2
20
OL/DL Aug. 19 vs Patterson Aug. 26 vs Los Banos Sept. 2 @ Sonora Sept. 10 @ Palma (Salinas) Sept. 16 @ Livingston Sep. 23 vs Ripon Sept. 30 vs Escalon Oct. 7 Bye Oct. 14 @ Hughson Oct. 21 @ Modesto Christian Oct. 28 vs Riverbank Team Overall League 1. Escalon 9-1 6-0 2. Ripon 6-4 4-2 3. Hilmar 8-2 4-2 4. Livingston 6-4 3-3 5. Hughson 7-3 3-3 6. Modesto Chr. 1-7 1-5 7. Riverbank 0-9 0-6 2021 TVL standings Azevedo looking to make up for lost time
Unlike Namath, Azevedo won’t guarantee anything about the upcom ing season. He just smiles that sly smile of his and says, “I’m 100 percent. I haven’t lost anything.”
50
Jerardo Ponce Sr. WR/LB Luis Vargas Sr. RB/S Jack Inderbitzen Jr. WB/DE McKade Jensen Sr. K/RB/LB Jax Branco Sr. RB/LB Jason Muniz Jr. WR/DB Daylen Paul Jr. WR/DB
The teams will meet in the regular season on Sept. 30 in Hilmar. “It really, really hurt standing on the sideline and watching last year,” says the 5-foot-9, 170-pound quarterback. “I’m just excited to play again.”
3
5
OL/DL 73 Brandon
57 Jacob
The injury did afford Azevedo time in the weight room, and he packed on muscle to his frame. “He could probably kick my butt now,” admits Aidan. “He’s the hard est worker of the three of us. He won’t miss a day in the gym. “Carter and I were outside-threat receivers. Huddy likes contact. He’s a dual-threat type of quarterback, for sure. I think it’ll show on the field, all the hard work he’s put in.”
Noah Gonzales Sr. WR/LB Emanuel Palafox Sr. WR/DB Dylan Couto Sr. WR/DB Jason Lundquist Jr. WR/DB
23
25
10
32
8
OL/DL 68
BY JOE CORTEZ Hudson Azevedo sits on the bottom row of aluminum bleachers, nestled in the shade of a nearby tree, watching his Hilmar High teammates practice in the unforgiving summer sun. Hey, it’s one of the perks of being a quarterback: always in demand by the media.Heeats it up, too. Most high school athletes are uncertain how to carry themselves during interviews, unsure what to say or how to act. Not Azevedo. He’s got a bit of Joe Namath in him. For you kids reading, we’ll save you a trip to Wikipedia. Joe Namath was the quarterback of the New York Jets in the swingin’ ‘60s. He earned the nickname “Broadway Joe” with his lavish lifestyle, movie-star good looks, and cocksure attitude on the field. In 1969, when the Baltimore Colts were favored to win Super Bowl III by 17 points, Namath famously guaranteed that the Jets would win. And he Azevedodelivered.hasallthat Namath-ness, and doesn’t mind being the underdog. He grew up with older brothers Cart er (Class of 2018) and Aidan (Class of 2020). Carter won a Sac-Joaquin Section Division VI championship his senior year, while Aidan won two section banners (in three trips to the fi nals) and earned a state title in 2018. A cousin, Christian Azevedo, was part of Hilmar’s 2008 section championship squad.Hudson probably thinks it’s his birth right to win with the Yellowjackets. “He’ll never catch me,” says Aidan Azevedo, revealing some of the com petitive juices that fueled the Azeve dos’ backyard games as youngsters. “I won two section titles and a state title. … it’s his turn now.” Hudson was always eager to com pete with his brothers. It didn’t matter that he was smaller. “We used to give Huddy a hard time growing up,” says Carter. “We defi nitely teamed up on him a few times playing football, basketball, wrestling, whatever. It definitely developed that competitive fire. And we didn’t let him win, either. Huddy didn’t do a lot of winning growing up.” He hasn’t done a lot of winning at Hilmar High, either. But that’s only be cause he hasn’t played. Which brings us to another thing he shares with Namath. Like Broadway Joe, Azevedo tore his left anterior cruciate ligament on just the second day of practice in pads, causing him to miss the entire 2021 season. This on the heels of the trun cated COVID season in 2020. Would Azevedo have been the dif ference in a 20-13 loss to Escalon in last year’s section final? We’ll never know the answer, but Azevedo isn’t concerned about what might have been. He’s only interested in what lies ahead … and that’s probably another postseason showdown with Escalon.
77
15
Noel Lopez Sr. WR/DB Arath Solorio Sr. WR/DB Kade Dompeling Jr. WR/DB Hayden Huff Sr. WR/DB Mason Sisneros Jr. RB/LB Aiden Souto Jr. OL/DL Baballe Sr. OL/DL Vasquez Sr. OL/DL Maynard Jr. OL/DL Gomes Sr. OL/DL Flanery Sr. Cardenas Jr. Agueda Sr. Bray Jr. Borba Sr. Takhar Jr. Hernandez Sr. Travers Jr. Caden Peterson Sr. Freitas Sr. Strickler Jr. OL/DL Logan Machado Jr.
17
19
OL/DL 61 Cody
OL/DL 65 Saul
OL/DL 60 Isaac
Luke Cox Sr. WR/DB
21
18
15WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab
Hudson Azevedo Sr. QB/S
OL/DL 74 Jaden
44
WEEK 1 8/19 – HILMAR VS PATTERSON WEEK 2 8/26 – PITMAN VS COSUMNES OAKS WEEK 3 9/3 – TURLOCK VS CENTRAL WEEK 4 9/8 – TURLOCK @ MANTECA WEEK 5 9/16 – DENAIR @ RIPON CHRISTIAN WEEK 6 9/23 – HILMAR VS RIPON WEEK 7 9/30 – HARVEST BOWL- PITMAN VS TURLOCK WEEK 8 10/7 – TURLOCK VS DOWNEY WEEK 9 10/14 – HILMAR @ HUGHSON WEEK 10 10/21 – PITMAN @ MODESTO WEEK 11 10/28 – MANTECA VS OAKDALE SJS PLAYOFFS SEASON 10 HIGHSCHOOLFOOTBALLFROMTHEFIELDTOYOURSCREEN BROUGHTTOYOUBY Asian Tiger MosquitoYellow Fever Mosquito visit us at www.turlockmosquito.org to report mosquitoes or for more information.OR HELP US PREVENT MOSQUITOES! REPORT TO THE DISTRICT: • Large amounts of mosquitoes • Report neglected swimming pools • Daytime biting mosquitoes around the home • Dump and Drain any Standing Water • When outdoors, use EPA registered repellents like DEET, Picaridin or IR3535 • Make sure windows and doors have tight fitting screens Call the District for Mosquitofish used in WATER TROUGHS, NEGLECTED POOLS AND WATER FEATURES. Call (209) 634-1234 Stay Safe,Stay Safe,Stay Inf or med!Stay Informed! 16WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab Stop relying on social media pages for your business. Let us help you build your new website. Visit us at 209multimedia.com/webdesign to get started. We can help. I need website.a
17WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab bulldogsTURLOCKTurlockBulldogs (4-7) Aug. 20 Rocklin 41 Turlock 0 Aug. 30 Clayton Valley Charter 35 Turlock 23 Sept. 3 Bullard 14 Turlock 12 Sept. 10 Manteca 44 Turlock 36 Sept. 17 Turlock 23 Clovis West 10 Oct. 1 Turlock 35 Pitman 0 Oct. 8 Downey 38 Turlock 14 Oct. 15 Turlock 48 Modesto 25 Oct. 21 Turlock 21 Enochs 7 Oct. 29 Gregori 25 Turlock 15 Nov. 5 Sheldon 36 Turlock 22 pitman pride Pitman Pride (3-6) Aug. 20 Central Valley 33 Pitman 14 Sept. 3 Patterson 55 Pitman 16 Sept. 17 Edison 55 Pitman 6 Sept. 24 Pitman 28 Golden Valley 27 Oct. 1 Turlock 35 Pitman 0 Oct. 8 Pitman 42 Enochs 19 Oct. 15 Gregori 27 Pitman 21 Oct. 22 Pitman 43 Modesto 28 Oct. 29 Downey 59 Pitman 14 denair coyotes Denair Coyotes (2-6) Aug. 20 Vacaville Christian 24 Denair 6 Sept. 3 Franklin 34 Denair 28 (OT) Sept. 24 Gustine 23 Denair 6 Oct. 1 Le Grand 49 Denair 12 Oct. 8 Mariposa 36 Denair 0 Oct. 15 Denair by forfeit over Delhi Oct. 22 Denair by forfeit over Orestimba Oct. 29 Waterford 42 Denair 6 2021 results yellowhilmarjacketsHilmarYellowjackets(11-3) Aug. 20 Hilmar 27 Patterson 20 Aug. 30 Hilmar 23 Los Banos 6 Sept. 4 Hilmar 40 Modesto 6 Sept. 10 Hilmar 28 Sonora 21 Sept. 17 Hilmar 28 Livingston 24 Sept. 24 Ripon 7 Hilmar 3 Oct. 1 Escalon 24 Hilmar 14 Oct. 15 Hilmar 28 Hughson 0 Oct. 22 Hilmar 65 Modesto Christian 0 Oct. 29 Hilmar 49 Riverbank 0 Nov. 5 Hilmar 61 Los Banos 27 Nov. 12 Hilmar 35 Sonora 31 Nov. 19 Hilmar 41 Casa Roble 8 Nov. 27 Escalon 20 Hilmar 13
“Obviously with 2020, we never got the ball rolling because of COVID that year. And even last year, it wasn’t really full scale for these kids,” Armas said. “There was a lot of positive tests, lots of guys missing practice and missing games, us having to cancel games and scramble to find opponents, and most of the time us not being able to make up games. This year with the eased testing and restric tions, the players are all excited to finally return to normal.” Some standout players that Armas is looking forward to see play are fullback Isaac Martinez and lineman Chris Her nandez.“Isaac is one of the guys returning this year and he’s definitely going to be some body exciting to watch,” Armas said. “I’m also looking to see Chris Hernan dez compete out there. Super talented kid, The guys is big in the weight room and shows up to everything.”
Though many players have their strong suits in terms of position, Armas real izes that most if not all of them will have heavy responsibilities on each side of the ball.“Offensive side and defensively, the kids are going to have to be ready be cause of short numbers.” he said. Regardless, the team has confidence, a trait that is essential heading into a new season.“It’sDenair,” Armas said. “Everybody here is pumped and fired up for football season, just like every season. I can tell you, practicing and getting ready for the first game, we can’t wait for these bleach ers to be packed and for our players to experience that again and really feed off of the energy.”
in 2022. Most of the players on Armas’ roster are expecting to have a football season free of postponements, cancella tions and missed games.
18WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab
There is always a sense of excitement amongst players before the start of any season, but this rings especially true for the returning players on the Denair roster
Denair High Coyotes
Coyotes aims to shock the Southern League
BY CHRISTOPHER CORREA 2018 was a dream season for the De nair Coyotes and head coach Anthony Armas. That year, the team won the Division VII state championship, an ac complishment that has been truly unfor gettable by the Denair community. Armas is always one to reminisce on the 2018 campaign, but reflections on that year have become even more com mon as he prepares his team for the 2022 season.“Whenever I look back on that state championship team, I always think about how everybody thought we came out of nowhere,” he said. “But even though ev erybody else wasn’t expecting us to be good, we thought differently. We knew we had some special talent on our team and we could surprise some people, and that’s what I think is happening again thisTheyear.”reason behind why many around the Southern League are underestimating Denair this year is no secret. After finishing last year with an overall record of 2-6, the Coyotes will have the few est players on their roster in quite some time, currently standing in the mid-teens.
Regardless, the players who Armas has seen at practices thus far have made him excited.“We’re very short-handed at the var sity level this year, but let me tell you, the kids we’ve had out here have potential,” heArmassaid. explained that the players on the roster also aren’t fazed by their thin roster.“The kids out here are determined,” Armas said. “Not only do I think that they’re super talented, but there is genu ine excitement amongst this group.”
19WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17, 2022 theBlitzseason10footballtab Team Overall League 1. Waterford 10-1 6-1 2. Le Grand 9-5 5-2 3. Ripon Christian 7-3 4-2 4. Mariposa 6-6 4-3 5. Orestimba 5-6 3-4 6. Gustine 3-7 3-4 7. Denair 2-6 2-4 8. Delhi 0-10 0-7 2021 sl standings 2 Landen Borges Jr. QB, DB 3 Emanuel Renteria Jr. RB, DB 5 Gio Larios Sr. RB, DB 7 Isaac Villa Martinez Sr. RB, DE 8 Anthony Pineda Sr. QB, RB, LB 21 Abraham Aguilar Sr. WR, CB 22 Ezekiel Flowers Jr. TE, DE 34 Nathaniel Peral Sr. WR, CB 52 Luis Esquivel So. OL, DL 54 Jordan Rubio Jr. OL, LB 57 Eduardo Zacarias So. OL, DL 70 Wilder Diaz Sr. OL, DL 76 Chris Hernandez Sr. OL, DL Aug. 19 Bye Aug. 26 @ Modesto Christian Sept. 2 vs Riverbank Sept. 10 @ Washington (San Francisco), 2 p.m. Sept. 16 @ Ripon Christian Sep. 23 vs Gustine Sept. 30 vs Le Grand Oct. 7 vs Mariposa Oct. 14 @ Delhi Oct. 21 vs Orestimba Oct. 28 @ Waterford
Modesto Panthers Stadium: Multiple venues Head coach (career record) : Dylan Miller, fourth season (3-21) 2021 record: 2-8 overall, 0-5 CCAL Last league title: 2013 Key departures: Jesse Pulido, LT, 6-0, 250; Eduardo Perez, G, 5-8m, 275; Ethan Angle, OL/DL, 5-11, 245. Key returners: Eli McCabe, Sr. QB, 6-2, 170; Heston Blom, Sr., WR, 6-2, 180; Isaiah Rodriguez, Jr., CB/WR, 6-1, 175; Melea Uili, Soph. RB/MLB, 6-0, 220 Worth noting: The Panthers have a core of young skill players that will serve them well in the seasons to come. “It’s sort of the few and the proud right now, but I feels like we’ve got the right guys said Miller. “We’re ready to make a leap.” … Miller is a 2006 graduate of Modesto High.
Key returners: Andrew Johnson, Jr., WR, 6-5, 180; Alex Velasquez, Sr., CB, 5-10, 150; Logan Bankson, Sr., RB/ DB, 5-11, 175; Nolan Ashbaugh, Sr., OL/DL, 6-0, 235; Logan Durkee, Jr., OL/DL, 6-1, 255; Joshua Weatherbee, Sr., TE/OLB, 6-1, 255; Martin Bertao, Sr., MLB, 5-11, 20. Worth noting: The Bulldogs return nine starters on offense and eight on defense, giving them one of the most experienced squads in the region … Turlock lost for the first time as a mem ber of the Central California Athletic League last season when Downey re corded a 38-14 victory on Oct. 8 at Chuck Hughes Stadium … With 80 career victories, Peterson ranks third on the Bulldogs’ all-time list behind Joe Debely (117) and Les Ratzlaff (106). Downey Knights Stadium: Chuck Hughes Stadium Head coach (career record) : Jeremy Plaa, 16th season (102-57) 2021 record: 9-2 overall, 5-0 CCAL Last league title: 2021 Key departures: Fayzon Allen, WR/ DB, 6-2, 185; David Jones, DB, 6-2, 175; Hayden Grant, WR, 5-7, 150; Braden Sanchez, WR, 6-1, 190; Tyler Sanchez, DE, 6-1, 200.
Key returners: Logan Edwards, Jr., DL/OL 6-1, 205; Aiden Muhammad, Jr., RB/CB; Alex Boco, Sr., OLB.
Worth noting: With a small returning senior class, this Jags team will be junior heavy in 2022.
Worth noting: The Eagles gradu ated 32 seniors last year and will be a young club in 2022. “I didn’t realize how many seniors we had until out last game, said Taub. “When those seniors stepped onto the field for the coin toss, I looked back and there were only 12 players on the sideline behind them.”
Key returners: Joey Stout, Sr., RB/ DB, 5-10, 175; Alex Rodriguez, Sr., DE, 6-1, 220; Dylan Freeman, Sr., WR/S, 6-2, 190; Drew Walker, Sr., QB, 6-1, 170; Angel Lopez, Sr., OL/DLm 5-10, 220.
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Turlock Bulldogs Stadium: Joe Debely Stadium Head coach (career record) : James Peterson, 14th season (80-56) 2021 record: 4-7 overall, 3-2 CCAL Last league title: 2020 Key departures: Ashton Baucom, DL, 6-0, 210; Logan Hart, WR/S, 6-3, 200; Brock Muirbrook, MLB, 6-1, 180; Se bastian Hilton, DL, 6-3, 235.
Key returners: Conner Stoddard, Sr., QB (CCAL MVP); Richard Williams, Sr, ILB (CCAL Defensive Player of the Year), Elijah Reyneveld, Sr., K; Gabe Hernandez, Sr., WR; Camden Rush, Sr., WR; Gavin Garcia, Sr., WR, 6-2, 190; Kimoni Ragland, Sr., RB. Worth noting: The Knights pulled up 17 sophomores to the varsity, 15 of whom started, during the COVID sea son of 2020. Those sophomore will be seniors this season. “Even though we won league last year, we want to do it again … and do more,” said Plaa.
Pitman Pride Stadium: Joe Debely Stadium Head coach (career record) : Eric Reza, second season (3-6) 2021 record: 3-6 overall, 2-3 CCAL Last league title: 2005 Key departures: Emmanuel Lopez, RB/LB, 5-9, 150; Colton Salsig, OL/ DL, 5-11, 240; Anthony Manzo, TE/S, 6-0, 190; Evan Kiely, WR/K, 6-4, 190.
Enochs Eagles Stadium: Dan Gonsalves Stadium Head coach (career record) : Tracy Taub, second season (5-5) 2021 record: 5-5 overall, 1-4 CCAL Last league title: Seeking first Key departures: Keith Orona, QB, 6-5, 210; Kola Babalola, 6-4, 200; Yomi Babalola, RB/LB, 6-2, 230; Isaac Ad ams WR/DB 6-0, 180; Andreas -Dela torre, MLB, 6-1, 215.
Worth noting: After going 15 consec utive seasons without a losing record, the Pride have now recorded three con secutive sub-.500 marks and are 7-16 since the retirement of Tom Tyler … Eric Reza is the program’s fifth head coach, following Larry Nigro (200405), Brandon Harris (2006-2012), Ty ler (2013-2018) and Lance Weckerle (2019-2020).
Key returners: Reggieon Foster, Jr., WR/DB, 5-11, 170; Ayden Powers, Jr., RB/DB, 5-8, 155; Dorian Ramirez, Jr., OL/DL, 6-5, 355; Ethan Lowell, Jr.., OL/DL, 6-3, 240; Anthony Todd, Jr. TE/LB, 5-10, 190; Michael Marsden, Jr. RB, 5-8, 150.
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Gregori Jaguars Stadium: Don Lanphear Stadium Head coach (career record) : Lamar Wallace, fourth season (14-12) 2021 record: 6-5 overall, 4-1 CCAL Last league title: 2017 Key departures: Cruz Marines, QB, 5-10, 195; Jayden Miller RB/DB, 5-6, 170; Jake McBay, WR/DB, 5-11, 175; Zach Fernandes, OL/DL, 6-2, 275
… Yomi Babalola was a three-year starter for Enochs.
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